CT PAID LEAVE CLOSES IN ON $1 BILLION IN BENEFIT PAYMENTS
Over 190,000 approved claims since program inception
Hartford CT — Connecticut’s Paid Leave program today announced that by year end, the program will pay $1 billion in benefits to CT workers in connection with more than 190,000 approved claims. Today’s announcement was held at Hartford Prints!, a small, woman owned card and gift shop in Hartford that was one of the first small businesses to sign on in support of paid family and medical leave prior to the law’s passage in 2019.
“This program connects workers with the resources they need to take some time off work when a difficult life situation happens to themselves or their family that requires extra attention”, said Governor Ned Lamont. “Thousands of Connecticut workers have been able to benefit from this program, enabling them to take care of their own health, a newborn, or a sick family member. Programs like Paid Leave are what make Connecticut one of the most family-friendly states in the country.”
With an approval rate of 80%, CT Paid Leave benefits are paid to eligible Connecticut workers who need to take time away from work in connection with major life events, with 48.80% of total claims being filed for the individual’s own illness, 12.86% for caregiver leave, 12.86% for pregnancy/childbirth, and 24.00% for bonding. On average, workers request approximately 7 weeks of leave benefits. CT Paid Leave claims come from every city and town in the state. The top 5 towns with the highest total number of filed claims since program inception are Hartford, Waterbury, New Haven, Bridgeport, and New Britain.
From inception to date, CT Paid Leave has collected over $1.6 billion in contributions from covered employers across the state, with a fund balance of $599,912,519 million as of November 30, 2024. Contributions have increased 2.8% quarter over quarter and 3.6% calendar year to date.
Claim volume has increased by 17.09% since 2022 and by 9.06% in the last twelve months. “The year-over-year growth in claim volume demonstrates the importance of this resource to workers and their families”, said Erin Choquette, CEO of the CT Paid Leave Authority. “Educating workers and employers about the program and providing stellar customer service have also contributed to the growth of the program.”
Here’s what some workers are saying about the Paid Leave program at community events across the state:
Robyn: “As an employer, business owner and recipient of CT Paid Leave, I was so impressed with the customer service, response time and clarity on the process. It was painless and actually enjoyable. Go CT Paid Leave!”
Sofia: “My husband was injured helping a friend. He was out of work for 6 weeks. We weren’t sure what to do but when we were instructed to apply for CT Paid Leave, our initial fear turned to relief. No loss of income and the process was easy. We are grateful.”
Megan: “My mom was diagnosed with a glioblastoma in May — a terminal and aggressive brain cancer. [Because of CT Paid Leave] I can go spend time the limited time we have together with my mom and not worry about losing my income.”
Vidalisse: “In April of 2023 I gave birth to my youngest son…I had a C section and was allowed proper healing time. In addition, not only was I able to bond with my son, but my son’s father was able to be by my side and had an opportunity to bond with his son as well. As parents in the workforce, having financial security while creating our family made the healing/maternity leave enjoyable. Knowing that financial hardship wouldn’t be a factor allowed our family to get closer.”
Ben: “I was able to take 12 weeks for the birth of our first child. This opportunity is incredible as I could never replace that time with my wife and son. Having that time to aid my wife while in recovery and bonding those few weeks with my son is irreplaceable.”
Shakira: “CT Paid Leave allowed me to keep my job. They also provided great service and were very responsive in reviewing my documents in a timely manner.”
For more information about CT Paid Leave and how to apply, please visit www.ctpaidleave.org or see https://www.ctpaidleave.org/-/media/ctpl/english-pdfs-and-docs/ctpl-infographic-updated-aug-2023-english.pdf?rev=3a0689d176514ccf926598545feb1b22.
